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First Time Installation
Software Requirements To Run: Apache Web Server MySQL Server Google Chrome / Mozilla Firefox. (see browser preferences below) To Administrate: PHPmyAdmin Users As a user, you DO NOT need to install anything apart from a web browser with javascript enabled. A browser should already be on your system, if not, we recommend you contact your technical support. The preferred browsers are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, however other browsers can be used if absolutely required, ie Internet Explorer or Opera. Administrators There are two main methods to using this system. Method one is to use the web site that has already been implemented, for which full administration privileges will be provided, however no installation is required, it is already up and running. Method two is to use the system package that we provide on handover, from which all required files can be installed manually to the clients own server. Ideally, it depends upon the clients requirements. By using the system that is already implemented, the developers are able to aid the clients when required and are able to guarentee the stability and reliability of the system. However by implementing the system upon their own servers, clients have improved access, freedom of modification and can implement their own security and backup measures. Using the Existing System If the client wishes to use the existing system, there is little work required to begin using the system. Upon handover, we will provide login details to the management sites required, mainly the Webhost, PHPmyAdmin and documentation sites. From this point, the client is able to change the passwords to take over the system entirely, or add new accounts to allow the developers continued access with the existing accounts for maintenance purposes whilst allowing for the clients own access. The database by default comes with a single pre-defined administrator account. From this, as many administator, manager and volunteer accounts can be created as desired. This can be completed through the account creation section of the website. Accounts on the system can also be created through direct manipulation of the database, however this is not recommended as it may have unintended side effects, thus should only be attempted by someone with full knowledge of the system. Using the account creation pages provided by the system should be all that is required. Manually Installing the Website When purchasing this system, you will receive a package of required files. You will have to download some of the related software yourself if it does not already exist on the servers on which you desire to implement the system. Apache Server The system recommends use of an Apache http web server. There are alternatives which can be chosen at the clients discretion. To install Apache for windows, head to http://www.apache.org/dist/httpd/binaries/win32/ and download and unpack the latest (or desired) version. Proceed with installing, following the prompts provided. Edit the server information settings to those required, this will vary however is most often: Network Domain: localhost Server Name: localhost All Users, on Port 80, as a Service After installing, the service will automatically start, and can be located in the System Tray. This icon can be selected to change the status of the server or to change settings. Proceed to test the server by entering http://localhost/ into your browser. Change the configuration of the Apache server to point to the location of the website files provided by the developers on handover (the public_html folder specifically) by selecting the Apache server icon, selecting configure server, then editing the configuration files "documentRoot" to point to the "~/public_html" folder. eg, if copied directly into the C drive, it should look like DocumentRoot "C:/public_html" From here, testing again should direct you to the index.php page. This will not be fully functional as the PHP is not yet installed, however it should allow you to identify if Apache is correctly configured. Installing the Database Upon system handover, the client shall also receive the default SQL database. For the system to function, PHP must be installed, onto which said SQL database must be uploaded. To achieve this, head to http://windows.php.net/download/ and download PHP 5.5 "Thread Safe x86". Other versions can be implemented however they may conflict with the system and the client must be willing to make changes if they choose to implement a different version. If choosing a different version, the developers recommend the most recent "threadsafe" "x86" version. Unzip the package. This can be done using most zip archiving programs, we recommend winrar or 7zip if a program is not already used by the client. Rename the configuration file: C:\php\php.ini-recommended to php.ini Open the file and modify the "doc_root" to the location of "public_html", ie: doc_root = "C:\public_html" and change the extension directory location ("extension_dir") to the location of where you installed PHP, ie: extension_dir = "C:\php\ext" Edit the Apache Config file to point to the following locations: LoadModule php5_module "C:/php/php5apache2_2.dll" AddType application/x-httpd-php .php PHPIniDir "C:/php" Save and restart Apache. To test, you can create a test file called test.php within the public_html folder, and enter the following code: When you access http://localhost/test.php it should read out a list of the php variables if PHP & Apache have both been configured correctly. PHPmyAdmin We recommend use of PHPmyAdmin to work with and edit the SQL database, however other options exist and can be used if the client is already familiar or has personal preferences. It can be downloaded from http://sourceforge.net/projects/phpmyadmin/ Linking to an Existing Database If an existing database is to be used for login varification, the PHP files can be modified by an experienced programmer. The comments denote exactly where the login process takes place, however due to the indeterminate nature of the host database, exact instructions cannot be provided. The developers suggest mimicing the database structure of the example database provided, however changes can be made as long as they are made to the relevant PHP pages as well. User System Requirements * Java Script Enabled * Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer 11+ (Internet explorer 10 and below can work but will have major graphical errors) Browser Preferences This site has been developed and tested for all major browsers including Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Fire Fox and Safari. Installing wiki to the Intranet copy wiki pages to internal network Initial Backup Performing a Backup for the system as soon as it is implemented is strongly recommended. This gives a loading point for any disasters that are too dramatic to be recovered from using normal recovery methods, without having to re-install the entire system.